Nalanda Teachers
Priyanka Parihar
Priyanka Parihar is both a skilled yoga teacher and the Yoga Director at Nalanda Retreat, where she brings over nine years of experience to every class and programme she leads. With a master’s degree in yoga and nutrition and advanced training in Hatha and Transformative Hatha Yoga, she offers more than instruction—she helps shape the philosophy, atmosphere, and quality of teaching at Nalanda. Blending classical techniques with Bhakti-inspired wisdom, Priyanka’s presence is both grounding and transformative.
Akhilesh Bodhi
Akhilesh Bodhi is a master yoga teacher and spiritual guide with over two decades of dedicated practice and teaching. As the founder of Mahamukti Yoga, he brings an inclusive approach that blends the classical foundations of Hatha, Ashtanga Vinyasa, and Raj Yoga with insights from modern yoga systems. A Reiki master and lifelong student of Vedanta, Akhilesh’s teaching is rooted in authenticity, shaped by deep study, and guided by his own lived transformation.
Elena Anikanova
Elena Anikanova is a dedicated yoga teacher with a steady, grounded presence and a passion for movement that flows from within. Her journey began in 2012, and by 2017, she earned her first Hatha Yoga certification in Russia—marking the beginning of her teaching path. Since then, she has grown into a versatile and internationally certified instructor, now based in Goa, where she offers classes in Vinyasa Flow, Hatha Yoga, and the Ashtanga Primary Series.
Anna Green
Anna Green is a dedicated yoga teacher and breathwork facilitator offering deeply personal and transformative experiences in Goa. Fluent in both English and Russian, she combines movement, stillness, and breath to help students reconnect with their bodies and inner wisdom. With training in Yoga Therapy, Yin, Hatha, and Soma Yoga, Anna’s approach is intuitive, adaptive, and rooted in a genuine passion for healing through movement and breath.
Anne-Laure
Originally from France, Anne-Laure is a former professional dancer whose path led her into the deeply transformative world of yoga. Now based in Goa, she teaches Hatha Yoga and Yoga Nidra with a grounded presence and a joyful spirit. With teaching experience across France, Belgium, and India, Anne-Laure blends discipline with grace, offering classes that invite stillness, awareness, and gentle exploration.
Iona Dudley-Ward
Iona Dudley-Ward is a passionate and dynamic yoga teacher, known for her vibrant energy and inclusive teaching style. With over a decade of experience teaching across India and the UK, she specialises in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, blending breath, movement, and music into an uplifting, embodied experience. Based between Goa and Mumbai, Iona brings creative flow, structure, and a spark of joy to every class she leads—both in studio and on retreat.
Tapashi
Born in Northeast India and raised in a traditional Hindu Brahmin family, Tapashi’s path is steeped in ancestral wisdom and modern embodiment. With early guidance from her parents in asanas and ancient Hindu philosophy, she brings a holistic, grounded presence to her teaching. Based in Goa, Tapashi blends Hatha Yoga with influences from tai chi, offering an experience that is fluid, intentional, and deeply connected to both body and nature.
Guest Teachers
Alexandra Denkinger, M.D. (Acu)
Alexandra Denkinger is a pioneering force in Yin Yoga education and the founder of The Body-Mind-Soul Centre—an internationally recognized Yoga Alliance school based in India and Bali. A trained medical doctor in acupuncture and creator of the Yin Yoga Therapy® method, Alexandra blends Eastern healing systems with Taoist philosophy, yoga, and mindfulness. Her teachings guide students into deep alignment with themselves—physically, emotionally, and energetically—through practices rooted in authenticity, embodiment, and intuitive flow.
Anneliese Piers
Anneliese Piers is a yin yoga teacher and aromatherapy educator who brings a unique blend of grounded expertise and intuitive care to every session she leads. After 17+ years as a cross-cultural coach, she left the corporate world behind to follow a deeper calling—one rooted in healing, energy work, and embodied change. Today, Anneliese is the creator of AromaYin, a signature modality that merges yin yoga, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the potent therapeutic effects of essential oils.
Body-Mind-Soul School
The Body-Mind-Soul School is a Yoga Alliance-registered (RYS 300) training school based in India, founded by Dr. Alexandra Denkinger, M.D. (Acu)—a licensed acupuncturist and E-RYT 500 yoga teacher. The school blends Traditional Chinese Medicine, mindfulness, and Yin Yoga Therapy™ to offer integrative, transformational teacher training. Its ethos is rooted in exploring the connection between body, mind, and soul to cultivate harmony, clarity, and joy. At Nalanda Retreat, we are honoured to collaborate with the Body-Mind-Soul School to host these high-quality Yin Yoga teacher training programs.
Dr. Renuka Yadav
Dr. Renuka Yadav is an experienced Ayurvedic doctor and energy healer, known for her grounded wisdom and nurturing approach. After completing her BAMS degree in 2000, she went on to train in Panchakarma at Sane Guru Rugnaaya in Nashik and Vaidyaratnam in Kerala. A Reiki Grandmaster and lead teacher in Yin & Reiki modules at Nalanda, she also brings her extensive knowledge of Ayurveda and anatomy into the classroom—offering students a rare blend of science, spirit, and soul.
Gaia Ceccarelli
Gaia Ceccarelli is a dedicated yoga teacher and senior facilitator with Tribe Yoga, known for her grounded presence and intelligent, body-aware teaching style. Born in Tuscany, her journey began in dance before she earned a degree in Communications and discovered yoga in 2008 as a healing practice. Trained in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Acro Yoga, Gaia joined Tribe in 2011 and has since grown into a lead teacher, guiding students and teachers across Europe and Asia.
Jatta Tjurin
Jatta has been a yoga practitioner for over 20 years and has been teaching Ashtanga and Hatha for over 10 years. She is a Kambo practitioner who focuses the application based on the body’s meridian points and on the emotional needs of the individual. Jatta is also a Nir Levi Method therapist, which is an emotional bodywork technique based on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Japanese healing arts.
Manuela Sauter
Manuela Sauter is a dedicated teacher of Yin Yoga, Meditation, and Yoga Nidra, known for her soulful presence and experiential approach to well-being. Originally from Germany, her journey began during a visit to Laos, where her first yoga class sparked a life-changing shift. Since 2016, she has lived and taught around the world—offering classes at conscious festivals, ashrams, and retreat centres. Her teachings are deeply influenced by mindfulness, Daoist philosophy, and a heartfelt desire to explore the meaning of human life.
Rafa Rawat
Rafa is passionate about people and he believes in the ability innately present in everyone to empower themselves to live fully, heal deeply engrained wounds and live a fuller life. He is an Oxygen Advantage Practitioner, having trained under breathing coach and best-selling author Patrick McKeown, in a breathing modality that is accessible to all.
Scarlett Dee
Scarlett Dee is an experienced yoga teacher and spiritual guide with over 30 years dedicated to conscious living and personal transformation. Her path has taken her from Asia to India and Ibiza, deeply shaping her practice and teaching style. A certified E-RYT and trainer for 200hr and 300hr programs, she integrates Hatha, Ashtanga, and Tantra with breathwork, Yoga Nidra, sound healing, and ceremony. Scarlett’s heart-led approach creates transformative spaces where yoga becomes a lived experience—on and beyond the mat.
Vikramjeet Singh
Vikramjeet Singh is a highly experienced yoga teacher and educator with over 11,000 teaching hours across Canada, the US, and India. He started his yoga journey in 2006 at Modo Yoga and soon left his corporate job in HR to pursue teaching full-time. Since then, Vikram has trained extensively in Modo, Ashtanga (with authorization from Sharath Jois), and Yin Yoga, and has taught at studios and trainings across North America. Today, he’s based in Goa, sharing a well-rounded, deeply rooted approach to yoga.
Zola Dubnikova
Dive deep into transformative wisdom with Zola Dubnikova’s Mystery School Yearly Immersion. Explore ancient teachings, ritual arts, and profound spiritual practices in a year-long journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Join a community dedicated to awakening and growth, guided by an internationally acclaimed visionary artist and teacher.
